Month: June 2009

ARMENIAN POLITICAL EXPERT: BAKU HAS NOT YET LEARNT LESSONS FROM AUGUST WAR IN GEORGIA

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 14:13:00

ArmInfo. The military rhetoric of Aliyev-junior testifies that Baku
has not yet drawn proper conclusions from the August war in Georgia,
Stepan Grigoryan, Head of the Analytical Center for Globalization
and Regional Cooperation told media, Wednesday.

‘In this context, we should not expect any special steps by the
presidents at their upcoming meeting in Saint Petersburg’, he said.

‘The five-day war in Georgia should have become a serious lesson
for the bellicose Baku. It is a doubtless fact that any military
adventure in the region is doomed to failure from the very beginning
and pregnant with serious aftermaths’, S. Grigoryan said.

CHAIRMAN OF PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION FOR STATE AND LEGAL AFFAIRS TO MAKE PROPOSALS REGARDING POSSIBLE AMNESTY

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 14:31:00

ArmInfo. ‘The text of proposal on amnesty announcement will be
ready in ten days’, Chairman of Parliamentary Commission for State
and Legal Affairs David Haroutiunyan told ArmInfo. Asked if the
parliamentarian Khachatour Sukiayan will be wanted despite the
possible amnesty announcement, D. Haroutiunyan said: ‘He is charged
with rather serious articles. I do not think the amnesty will apply
to such serious offences. In such cases when there is no judicial act,
amnesty is not applied’.

Earlier on Tuesday President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan held a working
meeting with the law-enforcement agencies and charged relevant
departments to make proposals till June 15 on the terms and legal
procedures of amnesty announcement in the country.

AZERBAIJAN HAS VIOLATED CEASE-FIRE ALMOST TWICE DAILY SINCE EARLY, 2009

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 15:48:00

ArmInfo. Azerbaijan has violated the cease-fire regime on the contact
line of the Armenian and NKR AF almost twice since early, 2009. To
recall, 3,5 thousand cases of cease-fire violations by the Azerbaijani
AF were fixed in 2008.

As Defense Ministry of Armenia told ArmInfo, as of June 1, the
Azerbaijani party has used sniping weapon almost 320 times since
early, 2009. About 310 cases of using large- caliber weapon by the
Azerbaijani party, 15 cases of using AT hand weapon (11 cases in 2008)
have been fixed. According to the source, 12 people have been wounded
(1 civilian among them), 3 people killed (1 civilian among them)
as a result of cease-fire violations by Azerbaijan since early, 2009.

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION FOR STATE AND LEGAL ISSUES POSTPONES DISCUSSION OF THE DRAFT LAW SUBMITTED BY ARRESTED PARLIAMENTARIANS FOR 30 DAYS

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 15:51:00

ArmInfo. The Armenian Standing Parliamentary Commission for State
and Legal Issues has postponed the discussion of the draft law
"On introduction of amendments in the Armenian National ssembly’s
decision on depriving arrested MPs Myasnik Malkhasyan, Hakob Hakobyan,
Sasoun Mikayelyan and wanted MP Khachatur Sukiasyan of immunity"
for 30 days. Head of the Commission David Haroutyunyan told ArmInfo
correspondent that the relevant decision was taken at today’s sitting
of the Commission.

Haroutyunyan said that the ground for taking the specified decision
was the fact that the initiators of the draft law M.Malkhasyan,
H.Hakobyan and S.Mikayelyan didn’t participate in the sitting of the
Commission. "The initiators’ participation is obligatory as this
is required by the law "On Regulations of the Armenian National
Assembly",- Haroutyunyan said.
From: Baghdasarian

FIRST LADY OF ARMENIA DISOBEYS HER HUSBAND’S WISHES

ArmInfo
2009-06-03 12:27:00

ArmInfo. The First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan has signed a
letter against development of Teghut copper-molybdenum deposit,
Head of ‘Ekodar’ public organization Hrayr Ayvazyan said at today’s
press-conference in "Urbat" club.

To recall, signatures collection against development of Teghut
copper-molybdenum deposit started in May, 2009. According to the
letter, the deposit development project violates the Constitution
and legislation of Armenia, as well as the international legal
regulations. Moreover, exploitation of the deposit spells destruction
of large forest areas, that will negatively affect the ecosystem of
the whole Lori region. As for the residents of the nearby villages,
they will be deprived of the opportunity to carry out an agricultural
activity and will be provided with a temporary job only. Moreover,
contamination of the environment with heavy metals and other repugnant
substances will negatively affect the people’s health and will cause
sharp growth of cancerous diseases, sterility, as well as birth of
children with mental and physical deviations. ‘We understand the
importance of the country’s economic development and creation of new
jobs, however, we demand from our authorities to implement such a
policy of the country development that will take into account the
health and welfare of the future generations, as well as the harm
which might affect the nature of our country’, the letter says. The
letter will be forwarded to Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan, Prime
Minister Tigran Sarkisyan and parliament speaker Hovik Abrahamyan.

As H. Ayvazyan said, about 5,000 people have already signed the letter.

Yesterday, the First Lady of Armenia Rita Sargsyan, as well as the
wife of ex-President of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, Bella Kocharyan
also affixed their signatures in the letter. ‘It turns out that
Rita Sargsyan opposed the decision of her husband’, H. Ayvazyan said
and recalled that ACP Company received the governmental ‘approval’
for development of the deposit in 2007 when S. Sargsyan was prime
minister of Armenia.

PRESIDENT SARGSYAN CONDUCTED A MEETING REGARDING THE PROPOSAL OF DECLARING PARDON

armradio.am
03.06.2009 11:13

President Serzh Sargsyan conducted a meeting with the participation
of the representatives of the law enforcement bodies regarding the
proposal to declare pardon, President’s Press Office reported.

In addition to his May 28 appeal to the political forces, public
figures and the Public Council to present proposal regarding the
necessity and terms of pardon, Serzh Sargsyan tasked the relevant
structures to present similar proposals regarding terms and legal
procedures of the pardon before June 15, 2009. The Presidential
Staff was instructed to summarize before the mentioned date all the
proposals received from the political forces, public figures and the
Public Council.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARMENIA, REPUBLIC OF KOREA INTERESTED IN EXPANDING COOPERATION

armradio.am
03.06.2009 13:44

The Foreign Minister of Armenia, Edward Nalbandian, received the
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Armenia, Lee Kyu-Hyung.

Minister Nalbandian attached importance to taking steps to promote
the cooperation between Armenia and the Republic of Korea in different
spheres.

Ambassador Kyu-Hyung underlined that the authorities of the Republic of
Korea attach great importance to the further expansion of multifaceted
relations with Armenia.

The interlocutors discussed a broad framework of issued related to
the Armenian-Korean political dialogue, trade-economic and cultural
relations.

The Ambassador of Korea presented to the Armenian Foreign Minister the
latest developments in Korea connected with the nuclear programs. In
this context Minister Nalbandian voiced hope that the efforts of the
international community would result in the resumption of six-sided
talks and the stabilization of situation on the Korean Peninsula.

GALUST SAHAKYAN: THE PAST ELECTIONS SHAPED A NEW CULTURE
Karen Ghazaryan

"Radiolur"
03.06.2009 15:13

Head of the Republcian Party faction Galust Sahakyan told a press
conference today that the past elections for the Yerevan City Council
shaped a new electoral culture. The participating political forces
tried to win the trust of the electors not guided by the principle
of slandering each other. That is why, according to Galust Sahakyan,
the elections passed without essential violations.

"Every team tried to demonstrate greater correctness," Galust Sahakyan
said. According to him, tensions at some polling stations were
natural, because the electorate was large and the polls were being
organized by almost 80 thousand people altogether. "I think there was
certain tension, but it cold not affect the "good" assessment of the
elections," he said.

Regarding the statement of the Armenian National Congress on refusal
from the mandates, the Republican MP said they were not going to
oppose the decision. "They are a team that has 70 thousand votes,
and we would not like to offend the voters."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

STEPAN GRIGORYAN DOES NOT EXPECT A BREAKTHROUGH FROM TOMORROW’S MEETING OF PRESIDENTS
Alisa Gevorgyan

"Radiolur"
03.06.2009 15:57

"Armenia and Azerbaijan should start negotiating a peace treaty, it
will be one of the most important achievements of the negotiations
process for both parties," head of the Analytical Centre on
Globalization and Regional Cooperation Stepan Grigoryan told a press
conference today.

War, peace imposed by international forces or peace talks: these are
the three main ways of conflict resolution known to the civilized
world.

Political scientist Stepan Grigoryan considers that the last option
is the most suitable for the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.

The political scientist appreciates the fact that the negotiation
process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is finally resuming after a
long break.

"Of course, there were meetings, but there was no negotiation process
as such," he said.

Stepan Grigoryan is assured that it’s high time to lay greater emphasis
on the issues of Armenian refugees and involving Artsakh as a party
to the talks. As for tomorrow’s meeting of the Armenian and Azeri
leaders in Saint Petersburg, the political scientist does not expect
a breakthrough.

"Once again they will speak about the referendum and the right of
the Karabakhi people to self-determination. An attempt will be made
to convince the Armen ian side and present the advantages we will
have in case of opening of the Armenian-Turkish border. But I’m
sure that the position of the Armenian side will be very clear: the
Armenian-Turkish relations and economic issues should not be linked
to the Karabakh issue," Stepan Grigoryan said.

However, Stepan Grigoryan is assured that there will be no essential
changes after tomorrow’s meeting. "The parties will meet in a friendly
atmosphere and will get parted. Upon their return to Baku Azeris will
probably declare that the Armenian side started to understand them
but failed to be maximally constructive," he said.

PRESIDENTS OF ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN TO MEET IN ST. PETERSBURG

armradio.am
03.06.2009 16:32

On June 4 the President of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan will leave for
Saint Petersburg for a two-day working visit to participate in the
13th International Economic Forum, President’s Press Office reported.

The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham
Aliyev are expected to meet on the sidelines of the forum.

President Sargsyan is scheduled to meet his Russian counterpart
Dmitry Medvedev.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress